reitzel



endnenfniinnrrznnaor sr; Louis; MISSOURI.,

appiieatinrlea nqvember 4 191s. serial No. 261,007.

To all whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE A". linrrznm( a citizen of the United States,residingfat St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovementfin- SnapFasteners, of which the following,` is a fullyclear,and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich lit appertains to malte and use the same, reference beingphad tothe accompanyingi drawings?,

forming, part of this specification.

My invention relates to a snap. fastener or', clasp, of the general typedisclosedlin' Pat"-` ent l\lo.l1,199,1122,Y issued to* me September" 26,1916, the principalf'objeetof nay-present inventionfbeing to generallyimprove upon` and simplify `the construction of the fastener disclosedinmypatent aforesaid; and to e, provide a"` device which i canlb'e`easily `and cheaply manufactured andwhichfislvery effective inperformingits intended functions;

Further objects 0f' my invention are, to@ provide a relatively strongand substantial.` fastening device, the separable" parts off which canbe `readily connectedor 'disconj nected, and `f`urther, to provide a*combined guide and seat` for the stud portionlofl'the" device, therebygreatly facilitatingwvthe movement of thestud into andoutofthe springcatch carrying emernber, and like;

` wise affording .meansfor retainingthetwo parts ofthe device 1nrmengagement with each other when properly connected.l

Fasteners of my improved` construction are applica-ble for a widevariety of uses, for in*` stance, uponvehicle curtains, andupon variousarticles of `vvearing apparel, such asf gloves, footwear, leggings,iaincoats, and the like.

With the foregoing, and other objectsin view, my invention consistsincertain novel` features ofconstruction and arrangement of' parts,hereinafter more fully' described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompany-V ing drawings', in whiche- Figure 1 isa planyiewpftheclaspingh member ofmy` improved fastener.

Fig. 2`is an enIargedVertial rsectionltaken" approximately on the line2%-2 *of 1 and showing the claspinglrnember in proper position upon headonstudiportionof the fastener,A v y Figi 8 is a plan view 'ofthe `baseplate ofthe clasp member andshowing" the spring in position upon saidbase plate.

Figi is enlarged cross section taken' apprjoxlmately on the i line ofFig; 1l

Flgl '5i is "an enlarged cross section` taken approximately :on the line5 5 0f` Fig.V 3.' y Ffigls an "enlargeddetail"section show` ing*'portions of thelread or stud" and the clasplng f member in` theirpositions of" enga'gernent.` Referringfby numerals to the accom]j. `any`ingfdrfawings whiclr illustrate a practical embodnnent of my invention,10` designates a base plate, `preferably, formed of i sheet"` metal, thecentral *portion* of "which `is der pressedto form a` longitudinallydisposed channel 11, a portionofone end "of which is narrower andslightly lessin depth than the main` portion" of" said chamiel. Formedthrough this base plate "in thezbottom of the wider portion *ofthechannel 11 isa circular aperture 12 Twhich is adaptedtoreceive theheadlor studportion 0f thedevice. e.Formedintegralkwith the platea11`d"`pr`o Jecting upwardly therefrom* on" opposite sides of'l thisaperture are' arcuate lips or flanges 13,1` the `sameyserving-jasAcombined guides "and seats `for that 'portion ofthe `head or stud `whichprojects through `aperture 12. The sideedges ofthese arcuate lipsorflanges serve asbearin s fr the legs of the spring carried bythe `aseJplate 10." This spring, designated by the numeral 14, is'preferablyformed of aA` single" piece of resilient wire bent nearits4 center toforma pair of substantially parallel legs 15. The end portions "of theselegs occupy the-relatively nar` row and `shallow end portion of thechannel 11i andare securedto plate 10 4*in any desired manner, ypreferablyby being clamped to" saidbase by a portion"of"`metal 16, thelatter *being formed integral with the plate 10 at the narrowend `of thechanneland `bent over onto the endsof saidlegs; (See Fig, 5).*lrnn`1ediatelyI adjacent the inner edge `of the clamping Aportion 16`'thellegs 15of` the spring "are bent upwardly"1 and thence downwardly asdesignated by 17 in orderto` en` hancefthe resiliency ofthe legs andwhen properly"` positioned uponltlfe "bafseplate-ll i thelegs 15occupythe side portions offthe bottom of channel 11witlrth'elintermediate` .portions ofsaid 4legs"bearing` against thevseats a which are curved in cross section, the

upper ends Vof Asaid seats terminating in shoulders Z) and fromsaidshoulders the upper surfaces of the side walls curve gradually upwardand outward, as designated by c. (See Fig. 6.) Under normal conditions,and while in studengaging position, the legs 15 of the` spring restdirectly upon the seats end which is closed by the clamping mem-V ber16.` 4 Y A- liner plate 2O is positioned on top of base plate 10 andserves as a cover for the channel 11 and the spring positioned therein,and applied to the top of this liner plate is aV convex ca plate 21, thelatter being provided with integrally formed prongs 22 which passthrough suitably located aper-v tures 23 formed in the base and linerplates and said prongs also serving to secure the clasping member to asection of leather, fabric or the like.

The stud member to which the clasping member heretofore described isdetachably fastened, comprises a cylindrical shank 24, the same beingprovided with suitable means for attachment to a solid object or asection ofvr fabric, leather or the like, and formed integral with thevtop of said cylindrical shank 24 is a head or stui 25. The diameterofthis head or stud is slightly less than that of the shank 24;consequently an abrupt shoulder 26 is formed between said head and shankand which shoulder is adapted vin retaining thek parts of the devicefirmly in position when said parts are in assembled relation or securedto each other, with the result that the liability of the parts becom ingaccidentally detached is minimized.

Formed in the stud or head 25 is an annular groove 27 of such size as toreadily receive the legs 15 of the spring and that portion of the studor head immediately above this groove is provided with a conveX topsurface 28.

When, the stud member of the device is manufactured for application to asolid support, the end opposite the head or stud 28 terminates in ashort threaded shank 29, and

when this construction is provided, the con vex top 28 of the stud orhead is provided with a slot 30 adapted to receive a screw driver orlike tool. Obviously, the lower portion of cylindrical body 24 can beprovided with prongs or the like whereby the stud member may be securedto a section of fabric, leather or the like.

In connecting the two parts of the device, the same are manipulated soas to cause the stud or head 25 to enter the aperture 12 and n soentering, it will be guided into and through said opening by engagementwith the arcuate lips 13.

It will be understood that legs 15 of the spring overlie opposite sidesof the opening' 12 as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the head or stud uponentering this opening will cause said legs to move upwardly andsimultaneously spread apart a' sufficient distance to permit said legsto spring over the edge of the stud or head above groove 29 and thenresume their normal positions and occupy said groove, as seen in Figs. 4and 6.

When the stud or head has been properly entered in aperture 12, theshoulder 26 between cylindrical body 24 and said head or stud will beardirectly against the underside of base plate 10 around the opening 12and the legs 15 positioned in the groove 27 also rest in thelongitudinally disposed grooves a in the lower corners of channel 11 andat the same time bear against shoulders b at the upper edges of saidgrooves a. This particular arrangement of the legs 15 is very effectivein retaining the head or stud in engaged position and it is practicallyimpossible to separate the parts of the device until the spring isproperly manipulated to release the head or stud. This release is ac`complished by engaging the underside of the projecting end portion 18 ofthe spring and pulling the same upward, such action drawing the legs 15upwardly and outwardly with respect to the groove 27 and grooves a andwhen the legs have passed the flange or rib on the head immediatelyabove the groove 27, their normal tendency is to spring inwardly towardeach other and at the same time move downward to their norm-alpositions, and this action is eective in forcing the head or stud out ofthe aperture 12.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a relatively simple andefficient fastener or clasp, the parts of which can be readily en gagedor disengaged by proper manipulation and that said device can beadvantageously utilized upon various articles, vwearing apparel, andupon vehicle curtains and the like.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved fastener may be madeand substituted f0.1: those herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A fastener comprising a clasp member and a stud, said clasp membercomprisin a base plate in which is formed a stud rece1ving aperture,there being spring receiving grooves formed in said base plate to thesides of said apertures, a spring secured to said base plate, whichspring is provided with substantially parallel legs which normallyoccupy the grooves in the base plate, and the stud member including aterminal head portion nsertible through the aperture in the base plateand provided with an annular groove adapted to receive parts of the legsof the spring.

2. A fastener comprising a clasp member and a stud, said clasp memberincluding a base plate provided with an aperture, stud guiding memberson said base plate/adjacent to said aperture, and a spring havingportions overlying opposite sides of the aperture between the studguiding members, and the stud member comprising a body portion,

a terminal'head portion separated from said body portion by a shoulder,which latter is adapted to bear against the underside of the base platewhen the head portion is inserted through the aperture therein, and saidhead portion being provided with the `annular groove adapted to receiveparts of the spring.

3. A fastener comprising a clasp member and a stud member, the claspmember comprisingI a base plate having a channel formed therein andthere being longitudinally disposed grooves formed at the lower cornersof said channel, there being an aperture formed through the base platein the bottom of the channel, a spring having substantially parallelportions occupying the grooves in the lower corners of the channel,parts of which spring overlie opposite sides of the opening in the baseplate, and the stud member inchannel, one end of which spring is fixedtoY said base plate, and stud guiding means formed on said base plate onopposite sides of the opening therein.

5. In a fastener of the class described, a

bottom of said channel, and a spring secured i to said plate and havingsubstantially parallel legs which normally occupy the grooves in the`corners of the channel.

6. In a fastener of the class described, a claspmember comprising a baseplate in which is formed a channel, there being longitudinally disposedgrooves formed in the lower corners of said channel, there being anaperture formed through the` plate in the bottom of said channel, aspring secured to said plate and having substantially parallel legswhich normally occupy the grooves in the corners of the channel, andstud guiding means formed integral with the plate on opposite sides ofthe opening therein.

7. In a fastener of the class described, a clasp member comprising abase plate in which is formed an aperture, there being shoulders formedon said base plate to the sides of said aperture, a spring secured tosaid base plate and having substantially parallel legs which normallyengage against the shoulders to the sides of the aperture, and studguiding means on said base plate adjacent to the opening therein andbetween the shoulders.

8. In a fastener of the class described, a clasp member comprising abase plate provided with a channel, there being spring receiving groovesformed in the lower corners of said channel, shoulders formed on saidbase plate immediately above said grooves, a spring secured at one endto said base plate, which spring is provided with substantially parallellegs which occupy the grooves in the channel, and there being anaperture formed through the base plate in the bottom of the channel.

9. In a fastenerof the class described,- a clasp member comprising abase plate provided with a channel, there being spring receiving groovesformed in the lower corners of said channel, shoulders formed on saidbase plate immediately above said grooves, a spring secured at one endto said base plate, which spring is provided with substantially parallellegs which occupy the grooves in the channel, there being an apertureformed through the base plate in the bottom of the channehand studguiding means projecting upwardly from said base plate on opposite sidesof the aperture therein.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 30th day ofOctober, 1918.

GEORGE A. REIIZEL.

Copies ot this patent may be obtained for five centseach, b`y addressingthe Commissioner of I'atents, Washington, D. 0n

